GB2603522A - An ostomy collection device - Google Patents

Abstract

An ostomy collection device comprises a housing which defines a collecting volume suitable for receiving and storing waste from an ostomy appliance, an inlet 30 for fluidly connecting to an outlet of an ostomy appliance and an outlet 32 for emptying the contents of the collecting volume. The device further comprises a lid portion 40 which is rotatable between a first position, in which the outlet is open and waste can be emptied from the collecting volume, and a second position, in which the inlet is open. When the lid is in its first position, the outlet may be open and the inlet may be closed, and when the lid portion is in its second position, the inlet may be open and the outlet may be closed. The inlet and outlet may be positioned on the lid portion and the housing may include a top 18 which supports the lid portion. The top may have a receiving formation which receives the lid portion. The lid portion may rotate about a central axis to move between the first and second positions. The top may have an opening which aligns with the outlet/inlet when the lid portion is in the first/second position respectively.

Description

Title: An ostomy collection device

Description of Invention

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an ostomy collection device.

Ostomy appliances are well known. Typically, a person having a stoma uses an ostomy appliance to collect waste from their stoma. The ostomy appliances collects a volume of waste and, once full or nearing full, the user either changes the appliance for a fresh one or empties the waste from the existing appliance.

This process works well while the user is able to visit a suitable space for changing / emptying their ostomy appliance -e.g. a bathroom or toilet. However, there may be times when the user does not wish to empty or change their appliance as often, for example, when travelling or while asleep.

In such times, it would be beneficial to provide an additional collecting volume that is connected to the existing ostomy appliance, so that the appliance does not need to be emptied as often. This functionality is currently provided by a flexible bag which is connected to the ostomy appliance.

Alternative systems are sought for ostomy appliance users. Embodiments of the present invention seeks to alleviate one or more drawbacks of the prior art.

According to an aspect of the invention, we provide an ostomy collection device including: a housing which defines a collecting volume for receiving and storing waste from an ostomy appliance, an inlet for fluidly connecting to an outlet of an ostomy appliance so that waste from the ostomy appliance flows into the collecting volume, an outlet for emptying the contents of the collecting volume, and a lid portion which is rotatable between a first position, in which the outlet is open and waste can be emptied from the collecting volume and a second position, in which the outlet is closed / covered.

Additional optional features are set out in the appended claims.

Embodiments of the present invention are described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of an ostomy collection device, Figure 2 is a view of a top of the ostomy collection device in a first position, and Figure 3 is a view of the top of the ostomy collection device in a second position.

An ostomy collection device 10 is shown in figure 1. The ostomy collection device 10 is configured to connect to an outlet of a user's ostomy appliance that is connected about their stoma (and collecting waste exiting the stoma). The ostomy collection device 10 is particularly suited to urostomy use where the waste being collected is more fluid that other ostomy waste outputs and can, therefore, be emptied easily from the collection vessel into a toilet or waste disposal.

The ostomy collection device 10 includes a housing 12, which defines a collecting volume for receiving and storing waste from an ostomy appliance.

The ostomy collection device 10 also includes an inlet 30, an outlet 32 and a lid portion 40 (as shown in detail in figures 2 and 3).

The inlet 30 is configured to connect to an outlet of an ostomy appliance (not shown), so that waste from the ostomy appliance flows into the collecting volume. The outlet 32 is configured for emptying the contents of the collecting volume (e.g. into a toilet, etc. so that the waste can be disposed of). In some embodiments, the outlet 32 includes a raised profile 32a around the opening to provide a spout formation.

The lid portion 40 is rotatable between a first position and a second position.

In the first position, the outlet 32 is open and waste can flow through the outlet 32 from the collecting volume (and, thus, waste can be emptied from the collecting volume). In this first position, the inlet 30 is closed. In the second position, the lid portion 40 is in a position in which the waste flow is impeded (i.e. the outlet is substantially closed) and the inlet 30 is open.

The housing 12 has a base 14, a wall 16 and a top 18. In embodiments, the base 14 provides a flat bottom portion to the ostomy collection device 10. The base 14 may be substantially circular (see figure 1) but it should be appreciated that this is not necessarily the case.

In embodiments, the wall 16 is connected to the base 14 (i.e. the wall 16 is connected around a peripheral edge of the base 14). The wall 16 extends substantially upwards from the base 14. In the illustrated example, there is a single continuous wall 16, which extends around the entire periphery of the base 14 to create an internal volume defined by the base 14 and the wall 16. It should be appreciated that the wall could be constructed from multiple portions connected together, if desired.

In some embodiments, the wall 16 is ridged or concertinaed which allows the wall 16 to fold upon itself. This results in a collection device 10 that can be collapsed into a small configuration (for example, for travel).

The top 18 of the housing 12 closes the collecting volume. In the illustrated embodiments, the inlet 30 and the outlet 32 are both positioned on the top 18.

Preferably, the top 18 can be removed! disconnected from the wall 16. Thus, in some embodiments, the top 18 and the wall 16 both include respective engagement formations, which engage with each other so that the top 18 connects to the wall 16.

In some embodiments, the engagement formations are corresponding threaded portions. In other words, the top 18 has an engagement formation which incorporates a helical thread and the wall 16 also has an engagement formation which may also be a helical thread. On relative rotation of the two helical threads together, the top 18 and the wall 16 are connected together.

In embodiments, the top 18 supports the lid portion 40 and may provide a receiving formation (e.g. a recess) in which the lid portion 40 is held such that the lid portion 40 is rotatable with respect to the top 18. In some embodiments, the receiving formation is a circular recess which receives a circular lid portion 40 (this allows the lid portion 40 to rotate about a central axis between and to the first and second positions). In some embodiments, the lid portion 40 / top 18 has a mechanism that holds the lid portion 40 stays in position adjacent the top 18 (this could be a snap fit or other formation that means the lid portion 40 is able to rotate about the central axis in substantially a single plane but cannot be moved out or away from the top 18.

The top 18 includes an opening which cooperates with the inlet 30 / outlet 32 of the lid portion 40. In other words, the lid portion 40 rotates with respect to the top 18, so when the lid portion 40 is rotated to / positioned in its first position, the outlet 32 is (at least partially) aligned with the opening, which provides a relatively wide / large flow path that can be used to empty the collection volume. When the lid portion 40 is rotated to / positioned in the second position the inlet 30 (at least partially) aligns with the opening in the top 18 to provide a flow path to the collection volume. Thus, only one of the inlet and the outlet 32 can be "open" (i.e. aligned with the opening in the top) at a time.

Both the inlet 30 and the outlet 32 may be closed if the lid portion 40 is rotated to an intermediate position between the first and second positions. In other words, the lid portion 40 has a third position in which both the inlet 30 and the outlet 32 is closed. For example, the angle of rotation in the illustrated example to move from the first position to the second position (and vice versa) is around 180 degrees (i.e. the inlet 30 and the outlet 32 are positioned on opposing sides of the lid portion 40). If the lid portion 40 is rotated through only 90 degrees (from either of the first or second positions), for example, then neither the inlet 30 nor the outlet 32 will align with the opening in the top 18, and the device is closed (thus, waste cannot enter or exit the collecting volume).

It should be appreciated that the inlet 30 and the outlet 32 do not necessarily have to be positioned on opposing sides of the lid portion 40 (and/or located so that the lid portion must move through an entire 180 degrees to move from one of the first and second positions to the other). The inlet 30 and outlet 32 may be positioned 45 degrees apart or other angle and still provide the functionality of providing an inlet and outlet to the device 10.

In some embodiments, the inlet 30 may include a valve part. The valve part may be opened by the connector from the tube of an ostomy appliance and otherwise biased to a closed condition. Thus, irrespective of where the inlet is positioned, unless that connector is connected to the inlet 30, the inlet 30 is closed. This means that even if the lid portion 40 is positioned in the second position, the inlet 30 may remain closed unless the ostomy appliance is connected to the inlet 30, to open it.

In some embodiments, the lid portion 40 includes a movement aid or user graspable portion 42 which assists a user to grasp the lid portion 40 and move it to the desired position. In some embodiments (see, for example, figure 2 or 3), the user graspable portion 42 includes a projection which extends from an upper surface of the lid portion 40. In the illustrated example, the user graspable portion 42 extends across substantially the entire lid portion 40 but it should be appreciated that a smaller portion 42 may also be possible.

In some embodiments, the housing also includes a handle portion 50 which is positioned to aid the user in transporting the device as desired.

In some embodiments, the housing further includes an air vent arrangement (not illustrated). The air vent arrangement functions to permit gases to escape the collecting volume -this prevents or, at least, reduces pressure build up in the collecting volume that could result in malfunction. The air vent arrangement includes a lower part, which is in communication with the collecting volume and an upper part which communicates through an opening in the top 18 to atmosphere.

The air vent arrangement includes a membrane which is water phobic to prevent / inhibit waste exiting the collecting volume through the air vent opening. The membrane or another part of the air vent arrangement may include a carbon component, which is used to neutralise smells in the gas flowing through the air vent arrangement to atmosphere.

Representative features are set out in the following clauses, which stand alone or may be combined, in any combination, with one or more features disclosed in the text and/or drawings of the specification.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Although certain example embodiments of the invention have been described, the scope of the appended claims is not intended to be limited solely to these embodiments. The claims are to be construed literally, purposively, and/or to encompass equivalents.

Claims (13)

1. CLAIMS1 An ostomy collection device including: a housing which defines a collecting volume for receiving and storing waste from an ostomy appliance, an inlet for fluidly connecting to an outlet of an ostomy appliance so that waste from the ostomy appliance flows into the collecting volume, an outlet for emptying the contents of the collecting volume, and a lid portion which is rotatable between a first position, in which the outlet is open and waste can be emptied from the collecting volume and a second position, in which the inlet is open.
2. 2 An ostomy collection device according to claim 1 wherein when the lid portion is in its first position, the outlet is open and the inlet is closed and when the lid portion is in its second position, the inlet is open and the outlet is closed.
3. 3. An ostomy collection device according to any of the preceding claims wherein the inlet and the outlet are positioned on the lid portion.
4. 4. An ostomy collection device according to any of the preceding claims wherein the housing includes a top which supports the lid portion.
5. 5. An ostomy collection device according to claim 4 wherein the top has a receiving formation which receives the lid portion
6. 6. An ostomy collection device according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the receiving formation and / or the lid portion are substantially circular.
7. 7 An ostomy collection device according to claim 6 wherein the lid portion rotates about its substantially central axis to move between the first and second positions.
8. 8 An ostomy collection device according to any of claims 5 to 7 wherein the top includes an opening which at least partially aligns with the outlet when the lid portion is in its first position and at least partially aligns with the inlet when the lid portion is in its second position.
9. 9 An ostomy collection device according to any of the preceding claims wherein the lid portion is rotatable by about 180 degrees between the first position and the second position and vice versa.
10. 10. An ostomy collection device according to any of the preceding claims wherein the lid portion includes a user graspable portion to assist a user moving the lid portion, optionally the user graspable portion is positioned across the lid portion.
11. 11. An ostomy collection device according to claim 10 wherein the user graspable portion includes a projection which extends from an upper surface of the lid portion.
12. 12. An ostomy collection device according to any of the preceding claims wherein the outlet includes a raised profile around the opening to provide a spout formation.
13. 13. An ostomy collection device according to any of the preceding claims further including a handle portion.